Bill Gates Building A Safer Nuclear Reactor With China

Bill Gates is in talks with China to develop a new, safer type of nuclear reactor.

While most countries are moving away from nuclear power, China is working with Bill Gates to develop a new, safer type of reactor.

The Gates-funded company TerraPower will be working with the China National Nuclear Corporation to develop the technology, which could cost as much as $5 billion in research and development over the next five years, reports the CBC. TerraPower is currently developing a new type of nuclear reactor that can run on depleted uranium, which results in less waste.

"All these new designs are going to be incredibly safe," Gates said during a talk at the China Ministry of Science and Technology. "They require no human action to remain safe at all times. It takes safety to a new level."

After the disastrous events of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, a number of countries have decided to move away from reliance on nuclear energy due to safety concerns. Leading the way has been Germany, which plans to be completely nuclear-free by 2022. However, in spite of this, a number of countries have plans to adopt nuclear energy, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa.

Discussions between Gates and the CNNC are said to be in the early stages.